


One Step at a Time

by lionheartedghost



Series: Evan Buckley Week 2020 [5]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Season/Series 02, Pre-Season/Series 03, all the things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23351251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionheartedghost/pseuds/lionheartedghost
Summary: Eddie watched Buck lift Christopher up under the arms and spin him around, setting him down before intercepting the football Denny tossed to Harry.“It’s like he’s one of them.” Hen shook her head fondly. “Saves on a babysitter, at least.”“Is that a good idea, though?” Eddie glanced unsurely back at her. “You know. With his leg.”Hen considered the chaos in the back yard for a moment. “He’s an adult. I’m sure he knows when to take it easy.”Eddie looked at her doubtfully.After the ladder truck incident, Eddie worries about Buck.Written for Evan Buckley Week, Day 5: “You’re a good liar.” + comfort.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Evan Buckley Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1675246
Comments: 7
Kudos: 381





	One Step at a Time

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Evan Buckley Week, Day 5.
> 
> Prompt: “You’re a good liar.” + comfort.
> 
> This got a bit angsty, but there's comfort in it too! So I mostly met the prompt!
> 
> Also posted on Tumblr.

There’d been a time when Eddie didn’t think he’d ever get to see this again.  
  
That was how he preferred to think about it now: ‘A Time’, capital letters. Calling it ‘A Time’ shrunk it down to a non-event in his mind, something he could brush aside and try not to remember. ‘A Time’ was two little words, something he could dismiss with a wave of his hand, something to put in the past and move on from. But, in reality, it wasn’t that easy to forget.  
  
‘A Time’ had been nearly 72 hours in the hospital waiting room, trying to ignore the weight of the turnout gear he still wore.  
  
‘A Time’ had been putting on a brave face every time his abuela had brought Christopher in with a plate full of cookies or a tupperware container of home cooking.  
  
‘A Time’ had been four days of waiting before the doctors let anyone other than Maddie visit, crowding into the little room two at a time in between tubes and charts and steadily beeping machines.  
  
It had been false smiles and promises they weren’t qualified to make. Taking it in turn to do the coffee run just to have a moment to let the mask slip. Ducking into the men’s bathroom two floors down from the ICU for long enough to let out a sob and splash some water on his face.  
  
‘A Time’ was five agonising days before the doctor told them Buck would definitely pull through. Ten days before they found out he’d get to keep his leg.  
  
“He’s like the Energizer bunny.”  
  
Eddie jumped. He turned to look at Hen at his side, blinking away the thoughts he’d been lost in. “What?”  
  
Hen nodded out at the garden. “He just keeps going. I’m exhausted just looking at him.”  
  
Eddie watched Buck lift Christopher up under the arms and spin him around, setting him down before intercepting the football Denny tossed to Harry.  
  
“It’s like he’s one of them.” Hen shook her head fondly. “Saves on a babysitter, at least.”  
  
“Is that a good idea, though?” Eddie glanced unsurely back at her. “You know. With his leg.”  
  
Hen considered the chaos in the back yard for a moment. “He’s an adult. I’m sure he knows when to take it easy.”  
  
Eddie looked at her doubtfully.  
  
Hen tipped her head in thought. “Maybe you’re right.”  
  
“Mm.”  
  
“I say we give them ten more minutes, then we send Bobby out to rain on their parade.” Hen paused. “Or Athena. There’s no way Buck’s arguing with Athena.”  
  
Eddie laughed.  
  
It hadn’t been that long ago that they’d been faced with the exact opposite. They were two and a half weeks into Buck’s PT when Buck had snapped at him for the first time.  
  
He and Bobby had been taking it in turns to cover the sessions Maddie couldn’t make it to, praising every inch of a step Buck managed as if he’d just scaled a mountain. But, in fairness, that was how much of an achievement it had seemed, considering three weeks ago Eddie had been holding his head in his hands in a plastic waiting room chair, trying to work out how he could possibly break it to his son that His Buck hadn’t made it.  
  
“That’s it, Buck.” Eddie had clapped his hands together, his own face set in concentration. “Just a little further.”  
  
Buck had clutched at the support rails, arms trembling. “I can’t.”  
  
“You can. You’ve got this. Just a little more.”  
  
“Eddie, I _can’t_ ,” Buck insisted through gritted teeth. “I can’t.”  
  
“Yes you-”  
  
“I told you _I can’t_!” Buck’s hands had tightened around the rails, his knuckles standing out a stark white. “Okay? I can’t. I’m giving up.”  
  
“Buck.” Eddie had tried not to let his face fall. He’d taken a breath, slow, even, and then, softly, he’d tried again. “You can’t give up.”  
  
“Why not?” Buck demanded. “I can’t walk three feet on my own. I can barely _stand up_ on my own. They’re never gonna let me come back to work. The only thing I can do now is make decisions for myself, and I’m telling you: _I. Give. Up_.”  
  
Eddie had swallowed. “For today,” he’d said at last. “Bobby’s here tomorrow, and you know he won’t take that crap. You’re gonna get through this, Buck, even if you don’t think you are.”  
  
Eddie had punched a wall on his way out. Blood had beaded on his knuckles as he shook the sting away. He’d barely noticed.  
  
A flicker across Buck’s face drew Eddie back to the present. It had only been for a second, so brief maybe Buck himself hadn’t even noticed it, but Eddie had. He’d taken a step back, stumbled a little over a dip in the lawn, and Eddie had seen the twinge of pain in Buck’s eyes, the brief grimace that had tugged at his lips.  
  
“Chris,” Eddie called from the door, “come in and wash your hands before dinner.”  
  
“Denny, Harry, you too,” Hen added, looking knowingly at Eddie before going back inside.  
  
Denny and Harry stormed through the door like a whirlwind, stopping in the middle of the room to give Christopher a chance to catch up on his crutches. They disappeared into the house, their voices fading from hearing.  
  
Buck stepped inside and grinned at Eddie. “Everything okay?”  
  
“Fine,” Eddie replied. “You?”  
  
“All good.” Buck bumped him with his shoulder.  
  
“Sure.” Eddie waited for Buck to take a seat on the couch and sat down beside him. “You’re a good liar.”  
  
Buck laughed. “So are you.”  
  
Eddie frowned. “What am _I_ lying about?”  
  
“You called the boys in because you’re worried about me overdoing it.”  
  
Eddie scoffed.  
  
Buck raised his eyebrows silently.  
  
“Well,” Eddie fought the petulant urge to cross his arms over his chest, “you _are_ overdoing it. I saw that look on your face. Your leg’s been bothering you.”  
  
A flash of guilt shone in Buck’s eyes. “It was only a twinge,” he said reluctantly. “I just… I forgot I’m not operating at a hundred right now. Everyone in here still looks at me like I might break, and the kids are just happy to have someone who runs around with them.”  
  
“But you’ve got to take it steady or you’ll undo all your hard work. I know how tough it was for you to have to go through it the first time and I don’t want you to have to do it again.” Eddie ran a hand through his hair. “Every time I see you in the hospital it takes five years off my life, Buck.”  
  
Buck nudged him gently with his elbow. “I don’t have any plans to go back to the hospital any time soon.” He smiled, then gave a long, exaggerated sigh. “But if it keeps you from going grey, I guess I can take it a little easier.”  
  
“I’m not going grey.” Eddie rolled his eyes. “I’m only four years older than you.”  
  
“Well,” Buck screw up his face, “you’ve got a couple on the top there.”  
  
Eddie pushed him away with a snort. “If I do, they weren’t there before I met you.”  
  
“You know, Bobby says the same thing.”  
  
“That doesn’t surprise me at all.”  
  
“But thanks.”  
  
Eddie frowned. “For what?”  
  
Buck chewed the inside of his cheek, his face suddenly pensive. “For worrying about me,” he shrugged. “For caring enough to worry.”  
  
“Are you kidding?” Eddie caught Buck’s eye, holding his gaze. “Of course I care enough to worry about you.”  
  
“Hey guys,” Hen called, sticking her head around the door, “Bobby says dinner’s ready.”  
  
“We’re coming.” Buck pushed himself up from the couch, shifting his weight carefully onto his injured leg as he did. He smiled at Eddie. “There’s a knack to it.”  
  
“You good?” Eddie hovered at his side, watching him carefully.  
  
Buck’s smile widened. “Yeah,” he nodded, falling into step with Eddie as they left the room. “I’m good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it and you have a second, I'd be super grateful for kudos/comments!
> 
> You can find me over on Tumblr [here](http://lionheartedghost.tumblr.com/)!.
> 
> Hope you're all staying safe and well, folks!


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